From the Daily News:The once-packed Democratic race for Queens Borough President is turning into a duel.
State Sen. Tony Avella, the maverick politician who cut his teeth as a Queens civic leader, has dropped out of the contest.
“I will never stop fighting and advocating for all residents of Queens,” Avella said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon. “Yet, at this time, I believe I can best serve the people of Queens by remaining a state Senator.”
Avella’s departure leaves City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. and former City Councilwoman Melinda Katz in a battle for the Democratic nomination. Businessman Everly Brown will also be on the Sept. 10 primary ballot.
Despite "dropping out", Avella's name will still appear on the ballot September 10th.
75 comments:
OH NO !!!!
I'm selling the house and moving to Mexico !!!
Tony you let us down
Thanks Senator Avella, it doesn't matter who wins now. Queens just got screwed again.
Wow so press conference tony bows out. Wonder why. Stavisky has been seen meeting with tony
Who by the way has become just like padavan. Differences are one wrote letters with no results. The other hold press conferences with no results.
Way to go tony. baloney
(sigh)
WTF? Some backroom dealing at play?
It comes down to Vallone v. Katz. Who is the lesser of the two evils, I don't know.
I'm disappointed, as he had my vote, but I'm not gonna lie - Tony did not really seem to have his heart in it, even as he was declaring. Yes, he had the civic group support from all around Queens, and that is something important which you can't buy, but he simply did not appear to get the boots on the ground outside of his strongholds, nor adequately tout the good work he's done over the years, where he deserved to take credit in areas that benefited from him, but where he had yet to become a household name.
It was, frankly, not as energetic a campaign compared with Vallone's and Katz's.
Quitter. I wonder what the "Deal" was
What is the rationale for dropping out? The same reasons to remain a state senator exist now, as existed before Avella became a candidate for borough president. Makes no sense.
Katz is a Shulman protege -- and disqualified on that basis.
I'm so friggan pissed I cut him a rather big check (for a civilian) and he drops out like this ?
Yeah he didn't have the "machines" money but a lot of people liked him he WAS REAL earning a huge shot at it.
Just give up like that ?
Now we get more fake scumbags (and worse) as a choice ...THIS FGGN SUX !!!
This was the first time I gave a Democrat in an election like this and I will NEVER do it again.
Now im selling my house in Ridgwood and cutting my losses, Queens is now dead for sure!
Katz most likely threatened him with something. Typical of her behavior.
Katz threatened him ?
With what, her jackrabbit or turkey baster ?
This all makes me sick what Crap'ola !!
Thanks for nothing Tony
O.K.
Calm down.
Start to focus.
Which one of the two will do a better job at getting Queens back the respect it has lost.
Take a hard look at their qualifications, their skill sets,their past performance and
their personalities.
When the world looks at us, who do we want to present as our leader?
There are very few people who will actually come out and vote on Sept. 10th.
A small number of informed, motivated and reasoned voters will make a huge difference to the outcome
I know I'm preaching to the choir,
but this one is really important.
That's it!
I'm writing in "Mickey Mouse" as a candidate on my ballot!
I'm sure that "Steamboat Willie" will prove to be a far better borough president than me being forced to pick an alternative from the devil's duo.
At least Disney will instill some order in Queens leaving less elbow room for corruption.
Is there a judgeship in Tony's future? He isn't a spring chicken and a judgeship is the gift that keeps on giving with a big paycheck year after year after year after year after.....
You have to be a lawyer to get a judgeship.
"I know I'm preaching to the choir,
but this one is really important."
It doesn't matter. The position is a patronage mill. All they do is control a pot of tweeding money, appoint assholes to the community boards and make meaningless votes on land use. In that respect, Katz and Vallone are the same animal. Since the borough is too closed minded to opt for anything else but a Dem, whichever development worshipper wins the primary will win the general election.
Somebody, other than Bernie Madoff, just made off with some of my money.
FLUSH!
Well, there goes my donation to Tony down the toilet.
I should have known better than to support a candidate who tilts at windmills, with not much to show for his multi decade career in politics!
How is Avella going do a better job by staying up in Albany under Toby Ann's skirt?
I could have had a better return, investing in junk bonds.
Batten down the hatches!
A foul wind is headed our way!
Crap choices for mayor. Shit choices for boro prez.
I'm sitting this election out and changing my voter registration to Republican.
The "R"s stink too...but at least it's a stick in the eye of the crooked Dem Clubhouse to lose one.
Sigh!
Now, what happens to Graziano's campaign with his chief endorser gone?
I hope he hangs in because I still support him!
Or will Queens be caught in a double pronged Vallone attack?
Gag! Shudder!
So we lost Avella. Now is our chance to do something big. I know this guy Al is known in the council district 19 primarily. However he has received a lot of press county wide. From the park video, to the cover of every queens paper with one legitimate issue or another. I've seen him on NY 1 as well as WPIX. I know their is a channel 2 ( sorry twc customers) coming out soon.
If this is to be done , now is the chance. Lets write in Al Centola for Boro Pres.
What say we do this for Queens?
Or.... We all move out.
Graziano's chief endorser is not gone. He's not just running for another office.
Tony will still be on the ballot. You can still vote for him in the primary if you want to.
In New York State one does not have to be an attorney to be a judge but it is rare and you won't get support from the bar association. About 40 out of 50 states don't require it for some judgeships. However to be a federal judge you must have a law degree.
C'mon--more likely,
there's a judgeship somewhere in Paul Vallone's future.
You've got to learn to read between the lines to guess at what's going on in clubhouse politics.
Quisling! Traitor! Nancy pants!
A broken promise even before the race is over!
Avella pulled out prematurely. A case of political interruptus. Score zero as a lover of democracy.
Whoever runs against Avella as senator gets MY VOTE next time around.
I the meantime the senator's just punishment will be those long trips upstate.
Judge Judy is over seventy years old maybe Tony could get that judgeship even though he isn't that photogenic.
Tony's fall back plan is a deputy BP Spot like Grodenchik. This way he pads his city pension.
Deputy BP?
Good point!
Adding more $$$$ to an already nice city pension is nothing to laugh at.
In other words, Tony goes back to being a city hack.
Money talks and BS takes a walk.
It's pension over principles!
Perhaps Tony would have remained in the race if he had had a sex scandal in his background like Weiner and Spitzer or if he had donated sperm to a single woman in dire need of being a mother.
I just wish he had been more honest in his statement. The "I believe I can best serve the people of Queens by remaining a state Senator” is unadulterated crap. I wish he would have stated the truth, "I am dropping out because I'm getting my ass kicked by the scion of a Queens family in bed with the real estate developers and a woman who will pander to anyone and anything for self promotion including the head of a snake when given the opportunity."
Stop! Pause a moment.
The way I see it--on second thought--
maybe I'll wind up voting for Melinda Katz.
Why is that?
Hopefully she'll screw up, and we'll only get stuck with this "developers' courtesan" for just one term.
With "La Famiglia di Vallone"--we'll wind up having a political dynasty firmly entrenched--that will be most difficult to unseat.
For, once that "junior" Pietro" has crazy glued his ass to a seat at borough hall it'll be curtains for Queens!
At some later date--"Petey" can always apply some solvent to his butt--then it's onward and upward from there.
Set a course for Gracie Mansion? Where else, of course?
Good Lord, what a puzzlement to face!
Melinda is beginning to look better to me as the minutes pass by.
It's really all very simple.
Avella ran out of money, and a car without gas goes nowhere.
Tony believed in himself and we believed in him.
We both wound up with a blowout on a very precarious political turnpike.
Now we all have to do the best that we can.
An anonymous quotation, for some consolation:
"Falling down is a part of life. Getting up is living".
Forward, ho!
O.K.
Calm down.
Start to focus.
Which one of the two will do a better job at getting Queens back the respect it has lost.
Take a hard look at their qualifications, their skill sets,their past performance and
their personalities.
When the world looks at us, who do we want to present as our leader?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Honestly, I think either would be a vast improvement over Helen Marshall, if for no other reason than to show Queens can field politicians with the intellectual capacity to complete law school.
Given the nut jobs who seem hell bent on sending NYC back to the 80s crime-wise in the Council and now the Federal courts, I'd actually prefer Vallone. The guy's got balls to stand up for cops in a city where it's politically correct to hate them. Queens is safer now than it's been in a long time.
No, I don't think he's a great, or even a good guy. But the above poster is right. Y'all had better choose. A vote for Avella now is a wasted chance to stop the worse of the two evils.
I could have bought a new I-pad mini with the $$$$$ that I dropped on Tony.
I don't regret it.
You've got to put your money in someone's future that you believe in.
Besides, my big old I-pad is working just fine.
Good luck, Senator!
He would be tier 1.
I like the al vote in idea
Avella did not run out of money. He just received his matching funds.
I could have bought a new I-pad mini with the $$$$$ that I dropped on Tony.
I don't regret it.
You've got to put your money in someone's future that you believe in.
Besides, my big old I-pad is working just fine.
Good luck, Senator!
Here goes this Al Centola groupie again.
Where's Al's money?
If Tony couldn't hack it...Al's got a chance of a snowball in Hell to win.
Get serious, fella. Al's a great guy but unelectable.
I was unaware of that until now, Crapper.
Now I'm certain that something stinks here for sure.
Could there be a skeleton in his closet that Tony is hiding?
Whoops, Tony has got to return his money...OR...does he pass it on to someone else.
I'm not that well versed in political machinations regarding funds.
"He just received his matching funds."
Is he required to return those funds since he dropped out and will not use them in this race or will they remain in his campaign chest?
The person that said his heart was not in it is correct - Tony did nothing to expand his base, just showed up at some debates and split early, had a photo on his website with a handful of civics from eastern Queens which says it all.
He was either not on the level, or cut a deal. Remember he worked for Vallone and has ties to Parkside.
But not to worry. Business as usual with these clowns is drawing to a close. We no longer rely on the Tribune or Gazette for news, and no one believes the machine anymore (we at least under the age of 70)
Its only a matter of time before this structure comes crashing down. All we can do, like mice eating dinosaur eggs, is to apply a million cuts until it bleeds to death.
Take heart people! Buck up and carry on!
Jerry,
Seeking the assembly
7 years in the Council
Seeking comptroller
And developer lobbying in between.
I really don't think you can count on her being a "one and done" type. Her friends Marshall, Schulman et al. will help her along, no doubt, if she "helps" them.
Tony, Tony, Tony...
Vallone is better suited to be the Queens "Enforcer" when the Distric Attorney spot opens up.
It looks like it's Katz for me.
Western Queens has always had higher voter turnout rates than in the rest of Queens. Vallone has this locked up. Katz will have to push the rest of Queens to turn out for her. It will be close.
Is there a Republican challenger?
Vallone has it locked up?
Vallone is sweatting bullets. You hardly see a Vallone campaign poster in Astoria, long term clients of the law firm are actively shopping for new lawyers, the buzz at Immac is strangely quiet, a lot of resentment on the in your face politicking with kids during the concerts in Astoria Park, the list of reports from deep inside Vallonia goes on and it doesn't look good.
Remember how Thompson would be mayor if people did not believe the fabricated reports of inevitably?
Two things to remember about Vallone.
Everyone has a neighbor that doesn't give a shit and is noisey/dirty/quality of life issue here.
Vallone is their friend. If you stay, nobody that is anybody will care. If you move out your home can be developed.
Everyone has a neighbor that doesn't give a shit and is ready to move out and sell his house to a jerk.
Vallone is their friend. He will 'save' your community with zoning the way he 'saved' his district. And when you discuss local issues at the community board, it will be a clone of CB1. Good luck.
Katz will litter her box but do it with some grace - and she will do it looking you in the eye. That's always a big thing with me.
"Vallone has this locked up"
She has more endorsements and the Dem party nod for the position. Vallone has a solid organization thanks mostly to his dad. My guess is that Katz wins by more than a couple of percentage points.
Al is a republican
Ragusa should get off his ass and do something right for a change. Get al on the ballot as a republican.
A DEAL WAS CUT OR HE WOULD BE SLAMMING THE OTHERS WALKING OUT THE DOOR.
THE POWERS WAS AFRAID HE WOULD EMBARRASS THEM WITH A LARGER THAN EXPECTED VOTE THAT MIGHT GET EVERYONE'S FAVORITE WEASEL IN THE HENHOUSE.
STATE SENATE SOMETHING IMPORTANT? THAT'S CODE THAT HE WAS GIVEN A SCRIPT.
MY GUESS IS BEEP IN THE KATZ ADMIN WITH CONTROL OVER N E QUEENS DEVELOPMENT AND THE LIKE WHICH, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS ALL HE WANTED.
Do people who contributed to the Avella campaign get refunds?
Borough President is a job that shouldn't even exist, and I'm surprised that Tony would have run for it in the first place. With the way that he loves to fight for the underdog - and, yes, hold press conferences that garner publicity - he's the ideal Public Advocate candidate. He picked the wrong office to run for ... again.
Well, I would have voted for him anyway, but let's face it - Tony didn't have much of a chance of winning.
"he loves to fight for the underdog"
Which means Queens BP would have been perfect for him.
Lmao what a loser
Lots of us did not want to lose him as a Senator - since I have never voted the lesser of the evils and there is no lesser I will still pull the lever for Tony.
You can still vote for Every Brown if neither Vallone nor Katz excites you.
Anon No. 57:
Tony is where he is in this world, and you are where you are. Laugh away.
Why vote for a loser like Tony, just because he's still on the ballot?
Vallone is getting my vote. It's time to back a winner for a change.
In true Darwinian fashion, it's the survival of the fittest...and Pete is very fit with lots of money and an army of election workers. Avella is the runt of the Darwinian litter.
Don Quixote Avella can return to Albany-La Mancha and continue kissing Stavisky's...well...never mind.
Unfortunately Tony is a career politician with little to show for it.
He'll move up to Albany with his wife, and enjoy a better life with the job that he's obviously been promised upstate in exchange for dropping out of the race. Can you really blame him?
A question remains.
Should I still vote for Tony...because it takes a vote away from Vallone...and Katz is probably the best deal we can get at this point?
Very interesting!
A vote for Avella is a vote against Vallone!
Lots of us did not want to lose him as a Senator - since I have never voted the lesser of the evils and there is no lesser I will still pull the lever for Tony.
... do not do this people - it will only help Vallone. I might gag to say this, but Katz needs every vote she can get.
Welcome to the Alice in Wonderland of Queens.
Vallone would not like the daily commute on the GCP and Queens Blvd.
Katz is hot.
Wow how embarrassing. This guy better give every penny of that 270k back.
Anon no. 65:
Compared to who?
Katz, talk about a flip flop,from gay single mother to shacking up with a guy who's a cartoon character .another hack. Who can't hack the private sector.
Phony Tony!
Although I've already contributed to Graziano's campaign, he might wind up losing my vote in the end.
Do I throw a good vote after good money?
That might prove to be a double waste.
The bottom line is that my nabe needs protection.
Does PG have any real power in government?
On the other hand, Paul Vallone lives in my nabe. His family has power. Although PV is a touch shady, I can count on him not crapping in his own backyard.
Is Graziano still electable with his cart hitched to Avella's horse?
We'll see. I haven't made my final decision yet.
It's not about qualifications or what a candidate looks like. It's all about their money and the soldiers that they can put in the field to win the election war.
Them's the real facts!
If PVs family had power he wouldn't have hitched his wagon to County. Not voting for a council candidate because a beep candidate dropped out is quite stupid logic.
19th district resident said...
Although I've already contributed to Graziano's campaign, he might wind up losing my vote in the end.
Do I throw a good vote after good money?
That might prove to be a double waste.
The bottom line is that my nabe needs protection.
Does PG have any real power in government?
On the other hand, Paul Vallone lives in my nabe. His family has power. Although PV is a touch shady, I can count on him not crapping in his own backyard.
Is Graziano still electable with his cart hitched to Avella's horse?
We'll see. I haven't made my final decision yet.
This is an incredibly dumb comment.
If you've already donated to Graziano, then you know the work he's done in your nabe, from getting it downzoned, National Register, making sure that BFHA wasn't split between two Council Districts during redistricting and, just in the last month, enforcing BFHA's deed restrictions and getting a stop work order at an illegal construction site.
This is all *without* being in public office.
Pardon my French, but what the fuck has Paul Vallone done besides open up a law office to promote the family name, preside over a political club to enhance his stature, vote in favor of controversial developments on CB7 that negatively affect northeast Queens and continue his profession as a registered lobbyist for the real estate industry?
Nada.
And if you're so convinced he won't mess up his own neighborhood, where was he during redistricting? or the deed restriction fights? or the fight to get landmarked that BFHA has been working on for more than a decade?
Nowhere.
"His family has power."
What power will they have if you don't vote for them and they are sent packing? The mentality of the average Queens voter is quite frightening.
Extremely disappointing.
Looks like I will be voting Republican come November for Tony Arcabascio for Queens Borough President. The though of a Katz or Vallone makes me sick!
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